JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
524 
[ June 21,1883. 
plants into specimens either from rooted tops or portions of the 
stem or root they should never be allowed to sutler by the want 
of root room until they have received their final shift. Keep them 
as close to the glass as possible, and give abundance of light, but 
shade them from the strong rays of the sun. 
Thyrsacanthus rutilans .—Cuttings rooted some time ago in 
small pots should as soon as possible be placed in those in which 
they are intended to flower. Keep them close after potting 
until the roots are at work, then gradually harden them by giving 
more air until they can be placed in cold frames. This plant 
does much better under cool treatment during the summer than 
when grown in a stove temperature, where they soon become tall 
witb leafless stems and fall a prey to insects. While in cold 
frames ventilate daily, but close early so that the temperature 
will rise with sun heat. Light shade is necessary during the 
hottest portion of the day. 
Plumbagos .—Pay particular attention to the stopping of the 
shoots of these plants, because they are liable to grow tall 
without branching freely, and in this condition half their 
beauty is gone when required for furnishing purposes in 6-inch 
pots. As soon as the earliest-rooted plants are ready place them 
in their flowering pots and give them abundance of heat and 
moisture for some time yet. Push on as rapidly as possible those 
rooted later and now in 3-inch pots. 
Euphorbias .—Cuttings may still be rooted as rapidly as they 
can be obtained, but all inserted and rooted after this date should 
be grown on without having their shoots stopped. Place earlier 
batches in larger pots as they become ready, but do not grow 
them too warm or they soon become tall. It is useless to pinch 
the points of the shoots of these plants to cause them to branch, 
for in the majority of cases they will break away again with only 
one shoot. The better plan is to cut them back to where the 
wood is moderately firm, and then three or four shoots will be 
produced instead of one. 
Sericographis Chiesbreghtiana .—This is an old but a most useful 
conservatory plant during the winter. If still growing in heat 
gradually harden them by the admission of more air, and then 
grow them under cool treatment afterwards. Care must be taken 
in removing these plants from heated to cool structures, or they 
may be seriously checked and stand still in consequence for 
a long time. Pot on the various batches as they require it, and 
where large plants can be accommodated a few may be grown 
in 8 or 9-inch pots, but those in 2 and 3 inches less are most 
serviceable. 
Ziliums .—Two of the most useful for indoor decoration early 
in the season and late in autumn are L. longiflorum and L. can- 
didum. Those that have been forced into bloom, hardened, and 
stood outside should now have attention. No attempt should be 
made to dry them off, but, on the contrary, when grown in pots 
they should be liberally supplied with stimulants until their 
flower-stems naturally die away. Long before this takes place 
root-action has commenced and the new growth starts. Those 
flowered in 5 and 6-inch pots should be transferred into others 
2 or 3 inches larger. Use for a compost good loam, manure, leaf 
soil, and sand. In potting do not disturb the old ball further 
than to remove the drainage from amongst the roots. After 
potting plunge outside, give water when necessary, and the result 
will be abundance of white Lilies from November to January, 
which will well repay for any trouble in producing them. 
Calceolarias .—Where a display of these plants are required 
early in the season a little seed may now be sown. In preparing 
the pan for the seed use a light soil, and make the surface fine on 
which to sow the seed, but do not attempt to cover it. After 
sowing water with a fine-rose can, and then cover with a square 
of glass on which is laid damp moss. Place in a cold frame and 
shade when necessary. 
Ricliardias .—Those required for autumn and winter flowering 
should be hardened off and planted outside, where they can 
remain until the middle or end of September. Where the spathes 
are required as long as possible it is a good plan to take strong 
plants that spring from the base and establish them in 6-inch pots 
ready for planting out. If this has not been done half the stock 
can be operated upon and the other half kept flowering. In 
planting out a trench should be made similar to those required 
for Celery. Place at the bottom a good layer of manure, which 
should also be liberally mixed with the soil taken out of the 
trench ready for returning to them when planted out. When the 
plants are turned out of their pots they can be divided into two, 
three, or inserted singly, according to their 6ize and the require¬ 
ments of cultivators. Injury to a few roots will prove no detri¬ 
ment to the plants. A spade can be employed for dividing them. 
In planting, make the soil moderately firm about their roots and 
leave the surface a little concave when finished, so that liberal 
supplies of water can be given. Each plant should be supplied 
with a stake to support the foliage as long as it will remain fresh. 
Watering is the only attention needed during the summer. 
Solanums .—Where these plants succeed outside they should 
now be gradually hardened and planted out in a warm sunny 
position. This applies to old plants that have been cut back and 
are growing, as well as young plants raised from cuttings either in 
the winter or spring. In many instances they have to be grown 
entirely under glass in order to produce them in the best con¬ 
dition, and well they repay for the room and trouble devoted to 
them. When in frames repot the old plants, and give the final 
shift to the young ones as early as possible. Plunge the pots in 
some moisture-holding material to prevent them drying quickly. 
Ventilate liberally when the weather is favourable, and syringe 
freely before their flowers open and after their berries are set, but 
not while in flower. Do not shade these plants. 
Salvias .—Few plants that flower profusely during the autumn 
and winter are more easily grown and require less care than these. 
Cuttings root quickly and freely if placed in a little heat and 
shaded from the sun. The desired quantity may be inserted 
singly in small pots, and after the plants are rooted they should 
be pinched once or twice, hardened, and then planted in good soil 
outside. The points of the shoots should be pinched about once 
after they are planted out, which is all the attention needed until 
early autumn. The following are amongst the most useful— 
S. splendens, S. Betheli, S. Heeri, and S. Gesneriaeflora. 
Rouvardias .—Old plants that have been cut back and have 
started into growth should have their old roots partially reduced 
and repotted in fibry loam, a seventh of manure, and sand. Place 
them in a cold frame and keep close until rooted. Stop any 
shoots that take the lead as they require it, in order to keep the 
plants bushy. After they have commenced active growth they 
can be grown under cool-frame treatment, or be plunged outside 
in their pots, or planted out in a warm sheltered position ; the 
latter in favourable localities being an admirable practice. Young 
stock rooted early are now established in small pots, and the 
points of the shoots must be pinched out when three or four joints 
of wood have been made. Give more air than has been necessary 
up to the present time in order to have a firm sturdy growth. 
These can either be placed when ready in their flowering pots, 
or planted out and treated like the old stock. Those only just 
rooted should be grown on in pots in heat for some time yet, 
and if then placed in cooler quarters will make valuable plants 
by winter. 
. i . i.; . i . r.-|~ tv I ■ I -1 • i • i • i • i ■ i • ' • i - i - i • i • ' ■ i • *'• i -aL r»t 
HE BEE-KEEPER. 
[ . | . | ■ | ■ | . | . | . | - | . i ■ i ■ l - l ■ I - I - I . I . I . i - i .1 ■ .1 - i - ! -.1 • I ; l;.l 
THE MOST PROFITABLE RACE -OF BEES. 
[The following essay read by Mr. H. R. Boardman, with the discussion 
thereon, we cite from the American Bee Journal .] 
One of the most prominent objects of my early boyhood recol¬ 
lections is the old box bee-hive out in the garden under an old 
Apple tree, with its inhabitant the black bee. By the hour have 
I laid on the grass under this old Apple tree and watched with 
eager interest those mysterious little workers. 
Many wonderful things have I been told about them, and the 
economy and government of the multitudes within their well- 
guarded home, which to me was shrouded in the deepest mystery, 
and their well-kept secrets, guarded with a dignity and honesty 
which I had never presumed to question, I had been told that 
they had a form of government like a nation of people, and had 
a king who sat upon a throne, and all his subjects paid implicit 
obedience to his commands and rendered the utmost respect to 
his sovereign wish, and I had noticed upon all combs that had 
been removed from the hive undoubted proof of this. The throne 
upon which the king sat, I have since learned, were old queen 
cells. I had been told that these communities were systematically 
divided, and that each division had its particular work to perform, 
and leaders or overseers were placed over them to superintend 
the work in each department, and some were assigned the position 
of guards at the entrance of the hive, and did not have to gather 
honey. 
I watched them swarm with more than idle curiosity, and I 
heard older people say that when the swarm issued they followed 
the king out, and wherever he went they followed, and if the 
king died in a colony they would all stop work and never do any¬ 
thing more, and would finally all die. I watched them toil the 
summer through to accumulate their sweet stores of food to pro¬ 
vide for the coming winter, only to be robbed of them and cruelly 
